


kaorutober 2018

by vaahtokarkki



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Drabble Collection, Fluff, Multi, more character tags will be added with new chapters, most chapters are rated G
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-07-23 09:00:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16155863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaahtokarkki/pseuds/vaahtokarkki
Summary: A bunch of drabbles, all including Kaoru with someone else. Will be updated every three days, until the end of October. Chapters marked with a * are romantic, the others are platonic.1: Nazuna*2: Chiaki*3: Souma4: Madara*5: Shu*6: Kanata*7: Wataru*8: Kuro9: Izumi*10: Rei*11: Marine Bio Club





	1. Nazuna*

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone! this is my october project, better known as kaorutober. for a while I've wanted to do a collection like this, focusing on kaoru and writing soft drabbles about him. this also gave me a chance to write characters I'm less familiar with (there will be five I've never written!). unfortunately I couldn't include everyone I wanted due to time restraints, so I focused on those I could think prompts for. there's also a few surprise picks here!
> 
> anyway, here's the first drabble! writing nazuna was a bit of a challenge, but I think this turned out really cute. enjoy!!

Kaoru has been on dates before, on a lot of dates, but he’s _never_ been as nervous as now. He waits outside the school gates, leaning against a wall, fiddling with his phone to appear like he’s _not_ waiting anxiously for someone.

“Kaoru-chin”, calls a familiar voice, and Kaoru startles, nearly dropping his phone.

“H-hi”, he says back. “You’re all ready?”

“Y-yes”, Nazuna nods – well, at least they’re both nervous messes, though that’s not a surprise when it comes to Nazuna.

Kaoru, though, should really pull himself together.

“Right. Then we should…” Kaoru pauses, takes another look at Nazuna, and then mumbles, “You look nice. The – I like the hairpins.”

“Thanks”, Nazuna flushes – it’s so easy to fluster him, and Kaoru could spend the whole day teasing him, if Nazuna’s presence alone didn’t fluster _Kaoru_ in turn.

The hairpins are yellow, and while they blend into Nazuna’s hair, Kaoru is fairly certain he didn’t see them on him earlier today. That would mean he put them on just for Kaoru, fussed over his looks, and that’s – that’s _cute_.

“Okay, okay, let’s go”, Kaoru says hastily, before he ends up too fixated on that thought.

“Where are we going?” Nazuna asks as they begin to walk.

“Well, I thought about it, and you said you don’t like coffee”, Kaoru begins.

This is easier, talking – while not addressing the part where this is a date.

“Yeah”, Nazuna nods.

“So, I found – well, something more suitable than just a cafe. You’ll see, you’ll see~”

“Aw”, Nazuna pouts. “Is it far?”

“A little bit”, Kaoru admits. “Took me a while to find the place, but I’m sure you’ll like it.”

That’s enough for Nazuna, and they chat while they walk, about mundane things.

Finally, they reach the place, and like Kaoru said, it’s not exactly a cafe – they do serve coffee as well, but more importantly, they serve ice cream.

“They do the _cutest_ sundaes here”, Kaoru explains, opening the door for Nazuna. “Base them on – animals and stuff.”

Nazuna quirks a brow – he can probably guess where this is going. Still, it’s not like he _has_ to pick the one that looks like a rabbit…

They get themselves seated, and Kaoru nabs them menus.

“Whoa, you’re right… there’s a lot of animals here”, Nazuna gasps.

“Yeah? I can hardly bear to choose just one.”

“Well, if these are good, maybe we – maybe – m-maybe we can…”

Kaoru looks up at him questioningly, and Nazuna hides behind the menu.

“Come here again?” Kaoru helps, and Nazuna makes a sound that’s kinda like an _eep_. “Who knows?” Kaoru laughs. “If you keep being so lovely, I won’t have any other choice than to invite you out again.”

R-r-really? I – uh – uh –“ Nazuna seems to completely short circuit, his face flaring, and Kaoru can’t _believe_ he used to tell himself boys can’t be attractive.

“Are you two ready to order?” the upbeat voice of a waitress calls out. Kaoru decides to speak first, to give Nazuna some time to recover.

“Yes, I’d like – this one? The fox?” Kaoru points.

“Got it! And, for your girlfriend?” She turns towards Nazuna.

There’s a silence over the table, as Nazuna lays his gaze down in shame. It seems he doesn’t have the courage to correct her, so –

“Actually, he’s – he’s my _boy_ friend”, Kaoru says, doing his best to not get tangled in the word. It’s difficult to imagine, more so to say, but worth it tenfold when Nazuna’s eyes dart to him in relieved surprise.

“Oh, I’m – I apologise”, the waitress bows, embarrassed.

“It’sh – it’sh fine”, Nazuna stutters. “I – I’ll have… uh…” his eyes dart on the page.

“The rabbit? Since you like them”, Kaoru helps, and Nazuna nods fervently.

“So… a fox and a rabbit”, she nods, then takes another look at them – and smiles. “Coming right up.”

“Huh? What wash that?” Nazuna blinks once she’s gone.

“Sakuma-san has said I remind him of a fox”, Kaoru chuckles. “Maybe she saw the resemblance in both of us.”

Fox and rabbit, huh… oddly fitting. And yet not, because Kaoru doesn’t want to chase Nazuna away.

“See something you like? You’re smiling”, Nazuna teases.

“Yeah, you”, Kaoru blurts out. “Ahh~ that’s embarrassing”, he hides his face in his hands. “Just thinking about you distracts me.”

“Well, we just – we just gotta meet enough times that you won’t get distracted anymore”, Nazuna declares, and – well, he has to know that will only make Kaoru more distracted, so…

“Oh? Then we have to go through the whole ice cream list. Or maybe have dinner?”

“Yeah”, replies Nazuna, and he’s smiling, too.


	2. Chiaki*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's set in the future, and chiaki and kaoru live together.

It's a habit that Chiaki wakes up before Kaoru. He's just like that – a morning person. Kaoru? Not so much, especially after a live.

Sometimes, he leaves for work before Kaoru wakes up. Those are the loneliest mornings, though somehow, Chiaki always remembers to leave Kaoru some kind of a note.

Sometimes, he goes for a morning jog. Kaoru likes those, because when he wakes up, it's to the sound of running water, and soon, he's greeted by the sight of Chiaki fresh from the shower; radiant, handsome, and laughing when the only thing Kaoru can do is stare at him dreamily.

Sometimes, he eats breakfast alone – that's also lonely, in a way, but he always makes sure there's something for Kaoru too when he wakes up.

Sometimes, he stays in bed. Those times are rare and precious, and Kaoru knows nothing better than waking up to the weight of Chiaki's arms around him, the warmth almost smothering. Those mornings, if Chiaki has chosen to stay in bed – Kaoru won't let him leave. Tangled limbs and slow kisses that taste like love.

And sometimes, like today – Chiaki takes things one step further and brings Kaoru breakfast to bed.

Today, Kaoru wakes up to a soft kiss pressed against his forehead. It's Chiaki, of course, a fact Kaoru confirms when he slowly blinks his eyes open.

"Morning, sunshine", Kaoru greets, voice raspy. "What's that scent?"

"I made breakfast", Chiaki laughs. "I was up early, so…"

Chiaki assists Kaoru in sitting up, and –

“God, I love you”, Kaoru mutters. There’s pancakes on the plate, along with some of Kaoru’s favourite toppings. “How do I even thank you?”

“Your smile is enough”, says Chiaki, and suddenly Kaoru is overwhelmed by the amount of affection blooming in his chest. He pulls Chiaki in for a kiss, then keeps him there for another, and another, and –

“They’ll get cold”, Chiaki breathes out, “s-so you should… eat them…”

“Yeah, I know”, Kaoru tugs at his shoulders, “but you taste even better.”

Chiaki, face painted in red, is now the one to kiss Kaoru instead.


	3. Souma

Kanata’s mission to them was to fetch sand from the nearest beach. Souma agreed without question, with no doubts towards their club leader – and after that, Kaoru just couldn’t refuse.

Obviously, it’s a ploy to get them to come along better, but that’s fine with Kaoru. He doesn’t dislike Souma, and he’d love to leave the school with a better impression on him.

It’s difficult for them to understand each other, is all.

“But why sand from the beach? I’m just saying, it’s strange”, Kaoru sighs, standing up.

“There must be some importance to this mission”, Souma frowns. “Come now, we have collected the sand, so we should bring it back.”

“Right, right”, Kaoru picks up his bucket. “Then we shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

As they walk, there’s a respectful distance between them – in more ways than one, Kaoru supposes. Part of that is his own fault – he’s made a point to keep his distance from everyone, after all. And part of it… still, it’s not like he annoys Souma on purpose.

Okay, maybe sometimes he does, but never with the intention of making him _angry_. It just happens.

Some kind of a sad chirping sound shakes Kaoru out of his thoughts. Souma has noticed it, too, and has already stopped walking.

“What’s that?” Kaoru asks. Souma sinks down to his knees, setting down his bucket, and that’s when Kaoru sees them, too.

A bunch of ducklings, alone and alarmed.

“Did they lose their mother…?” Souma mutters. “Should we look for her?”

He reaches out, aiming to touch one of them, and that’s when Kaoru begins to move.

“Wait, wait, Souma-kun, don’t”, he says breathlessly, following Souma’s earlier motion and kneeling down. “It’s better to not touch them.”

“Huh? Why?” Souma blinks, stopping his hand.

“They’re really young”, Kaoru explains. “If you handle them, they might imprint on you.”

“Im…print?”

“They might start to think _you’re_ their mom”, Kaoru grins. “I doubt you want that.”

“Oh”, Souma’s face flushes red. “Then what should we do?”

“Their mom might come back, so the best we can do is watch them until that. Keep them safe, you know?” Kaoru smiles fondly, watching the ducklings.

“What if the mother doesn’t come back?” Souma asks softly.

“Then we call someone”, Kaoru nods.

“You know a lot about ducks”, Souma’s voice is unusually quiet.

“Well, I like them a lot. They’re cute, and interesting, and…” Kaoru catches himself before he starts rambling, and stops talking. But when he looks at Souma, the expression the boy is wearing kind of resembles – what’s that? _Respect?_

“It’s – it’s admirable that you know so much about them… Hakaze-dono.”

Whoa. Whoa? Did he just–?

“Wow, uh… thanks”, Kaoru nods, mildly embarrassed. “Though Kanata-kun probably knows more than me…”

“Still, you know a lot. Are you sure they’ll be okay?”

“We just gotta stay with them, make sure they stay together and nothing attacks them. As long as the mom comes back… yeah, they’ll be fine.”

“All right. I trust you on this”, Souma nods, looking back at the birds.

“Right”, Kaoru mutters. Sure, he wanted to be on better terms with Souma, but he’s not sure what to think about the fact that all it took for Souma to like him was a bit of knowledge on _ducks_.

They don’t have to wait much longer until an adult duck waddles towards them, quacking loudly. The ducklings all perk up, responding to the call.

“That’s good”, Kaoru sighs, “they’ll be okay, now.”

“I’m glad”, Souma smiles.

“Then we should get back, before Kanata-kun starts to worry.”

“Ah! The mission!” Souma jumps up. “We need to take the sand to the club room! Come on, Hakaze-dono!”

Kaoru thinks, Kanata will probably forget about the sand the instant he hears about their encounter with the ducklings. Still, it’s best to not keep him waiting, so Kaoru follows Souma, even agreeing to run all the way back to the school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if there's any inaccuracies about the ducklings, please do forgive me, I don't actually know that much and google was my best friend.
> 
> this chapter started with the ducklings; it seemed like the ideal way to get these two to set aside their differences for a while and actually bond over something. from the start, I wanted at least one chapter to include animals, so all this worked quite nicely. this was also my first time writing souma, so I hope I did him justice!


	4. Madara*

Gym class? A pain. Always so, but even more when Kaoru has better things to do.

Better things, like – anything, really. Anything that doesn’t involve a bunch of infuriatingly handsome guys working up a sweat.

“Ha ha ha! Come on, Kaoru-san, or you’ll be left behind!”

Case in point: this guy. He was away for a while, on some secret business Rei probably knows about, but Kaoru wouldn’t ask about it. And now he’s been back for a while, and it’s _impossible_ to not notice his presence. Sure, Kaoru is around cute boys every day, but Madara, he’s – _unfairly_ attractive.

Maybe it’s his voice? Or his smile? Or – or something?

“Yeah, I’m coming”, Kaoru replies, and Madara turns back around, pleased. And his back is broad, and Kaoru stares at it for a moment too long – and –

 _Crash_.

Kaoru missteps, and before he knows it, he’s on the ground. Stupid, handsome Madara, with his stupid, broad shoulders, and –

“Kaoru-san! Are you okay?”

“I’m – I’m fine”, Kaoru claims immediately, even though he has no idea. “I’ll just –“ he attempts standing up, and finds that he’s _not_ fine – or at least his left ankle isn’t. It gives up when he tries to put weight on it, and he falls back on his ass with some choice swear words falling from his lips.

“Kaoru-san, don’t push it”, Madara is kneeling now, hand on Kaoru’s shoulder. “Your ankle?”

“Yeah”, Kaoru swallows. “I think it’s sprained. I should –“

“No, no, don’t move, or you’ll make it worse”, Madara shakes his head. “I’ll take you.”

“Wait, Mikejima-kun, you don’t have to –“ other students have begun to gather around them, and Kaoru wants the situation to end with his pride still intact.

“Don’t worry, I’ll look after you!”

Madara’s smile is bright, and Kaoru has a _really_ bad feeling about this, but he doesn’t have any more time to protest, because next, Madara lifts him up.

Well, rather – _picks_ him up and hoists him over his shoulder.

“What –“ Kaoru exclaims, but then he’s already on Madara’s shoulder, and the world is upside down. “Mikejima –“

“I said, don’t worry! Your ankle will be fine!”

Kaoru spots the surprised expressions of his classmates, and so much for his pride. He settles against Madara’s back with a grumble. He could at least have chosen a less humiliating way to carry Kaoru.

Fortunately, the hallways are relatively empty, and as far as Kaoru can tell from his position, they don’t run into anyone Kaoru absolutely doesn’t want to see him like this.

Not soon enough, Madara walks through a door. Glancing around, Kaoru confirms the room to be the infirmary, and sighs in relief.

Madara is surprisingly gentle when he lays Kaoru down on a bed.

“Looks like nobody’s in, but it’s okay! I know some basic first-aid, so as long as it’s only sprained…”

“Ah – Mikejima-kun, we could wait –“

“I’ve told you, you can just call me Mama.”

Ahh – it’s like they were having two different conversations.

“N-no”, Kaoru refuses.

“Then at least my first name?”

“Huh?” Kaoru blinks. “You mean, like – Madara-kun?”

As soon as he’s said it, Kaoru realises how embarrassing that was.

“Whoa, a blush!” Madara grins. “That there is exactly why I said you’re the most gorgeous guy in the school! All right, let me see that…”

Madara kneels down to inspect Kaoru’s ankle, all calmly like he _didn’t_ just casually say a compliment like – like _that_.

“I’m not, though”, Kaoru mumbles. Madara gently tries his ankle – then pauses, and looks up.

“Huh?” he looks confused. “How so?”

Shit, shit, Kaoru wasn’t expecting him to actually pay attention to that.

“Well, I mean”, he stutters, “I can’t be, since you are.”

The following silence lasts for too long, and Kaoru finds himself wishing the floor would open up and swallow him.

“Kaoru-san –“ Madara begins standing up, placing his hands on the bed on both sides of Kaoru. His eyes are really pretty, the colour of the ocean, and Kaoru gets the strangest impulse of his whole life; to kiss him.

And that’s _exactly_ what he does.

It doesn’t last long, just a second, really, and ends abruptly when someone in the room clears their throat.

The door is open, and Sagami stands awkwardly in the doorway.

“Unfortunately, I’m required to inform you that we don’t accept that in the infirmary”, he’s wearing a sorry smile.

“Oh! Well, Kaoru-san here hurt his ankle, so I was helping him out.”

“His ankle”, Sagami quirks a brow.

“His ankle”, Madara confirms.

Kaoru tries to read Madara’s face, to find out anything about what Madara thinks of what just transpired. Madara glances at him as he stands up, and flashes a grin.

“I need to get back to gym class, but I’ll see you later?”

“If you… want to?” Kaoru asks hopefully.

“Yeah! We can continue our… talk”, Madara glances at the door.

“You don’t have to pretend that you _didn’t_ kiss”, Sagami waves his hand. “It’s just the rules that you shouldn’t do it _here_.”

“I’ll find us a better place, then!” Madara winks at Kaoru. “Right, Kaoru-san?”

“You wanna kiss more?” Kaoru blinks.

“Told you already”, Madara pinches at Kaoru’s cheek, “most gorgeous guy in the school. Who wouldn’t?”

“I really need to look at his ankle, though?”

“Right! Sorry!” Madara jumps up. “Okay, I’ll see you later!”

Before Kaoru can reply, he’s already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the "most gorgeous" thing is a reference to Aquarium, where Madara tells Kaoru he's "the most gorgeous, beautiful guy in the whole school". that's kinda gay
> 
> background for this chapter is; I had the prompt first, then chose between Madara and Chiaki for it. well, Chiaki got another prompt, and I think this one suits Mama really well!
> 
> also don't @ me I know they've interacted like twice but they're in the same class and Kaoru is a disaster bi so this ship has potential if nothing else


	5. Shu*

Three days after graduation, Kaoru and Shu go on a date.

It seems like an opportune time; not _immediately_ after – enough time for the first turmoils of leaving the school to pass. Yet soon enough, before they have to properly address this thing called _future_.

Out of the school, everything seems different. They meet by the arcade, and Kaoru brushes their hands together briefly with little resistance from his brain.

It’s fine, isn’t it? Soon he’ll move in with Rei, and then it doesn’t matter who sees him touching hands with Shu, doesn’t matter if it reaches his house (soon to be old house).

“Why did you want to meet at the arcade?” Shu asks, a small smile on his lips. He seems happier now that he’s out of Yumenosaki. There will be new things to stress about, but at least he doesn’t have to constantly be surrounded by reminders of hurt, anymore.

“We’ll have our date here”, Kaoru replies.

“Here?” Shu’s eyebrows shoot up. “At the… arcade?”

“I’ll tell you why if you play the shooting game with me.”

“The… shooting game…” Shu’s eyes light up in realisation, and Kaoru grins at him.

“Exactly. Come on, I’ll pay for us both, since it’s a date~”

  


The game? It ends in Shu’s victory.

Truth be told, Kaoru lets him win, but Shu notices, and demands a rematch. Which – Kaoru wins, and Shu wants another, to decide the true winner. By then, a line has gathered in wait for the game, and Kaoru drags Shu away before he starts insulting people.

“Itsuki-kun, we don’t _need_ a winner”, Kaoru laughs, leaning against a… monitor for a dance game?

“If you’re sure”, Shu huffs, arms crossed over his chest – an endearing sight, and Kaoru has to do his best to not kiss him right there.

“Look at it this way – it doesn’t matter which of us is better than the other, since Tenshouin-kun didn’t win that day.”

“Hm. Perhaps you’re right”, Shu admits. “Though _please_ don’t ever mention that name on a date again.”

“I won’t”, Kaoru smiles.

“So, what about the reason we’re here?”

“It’s kind of embarrassing, really”, Kaoru laughs. “You remember that day, right?”

“Of course I do. You were wearing an unbearably sad face, and I am not adept at comforting people. It was _dreadful_.”

“Well, you did _something_ , because that was the day I fell for you.”

There’s a short silence.

“That was in the summer.”

“Yes.”

“You confessed to me… when? Late autumn?”

“Halloween, to be exact.”

“Yes, of course I remember. You were wearing that _atrocious_ outfit –“

“What did you say to me after I confessed, again?”

“I… don’t remember”, Shu mutters, face suddenly red. “And _you_ shouldn’t, either.”

“Ah! I remember”, Kaoru grins. “You said, _tell that to me again after you’re out of those clothes._ ”

“You’re not supposed to remember!” Shu hisses. “And – you _know_ I didn’t mean it like that!”

The rest of the story goes, the following day Kaoru intended to confess again, but Shu came down with a nasty flu that lasted a week, and after that, Kaoru didn’t have the courage anymore. And _then_ , it took their dumb asses over a month to move things forward – until an instance with some mistletoe in a Christmas party the third years had together.

(Why would they have mistletoe, anyway? Was it Madara’s idea, thoroughly charmed with American culture?)

Naturally, Kaoru was wearing a shirt Shu thought was almost worse than the priest costume – and refused to kiss him.

So, Kaoru took the shirt off.

Somehow, Shu _didn’t_ walk away on the spot, and the rest is history. Though instead of kissing him there with everyone watching, he took Kaoru outside, and they kissed once, twice, thrice, a few more times until Kaoru began to shiver from the cold.

Next, Kaoru was the one to catch a cold, and there was no kissing for a while.

“What are you thinking about _now?”_ Shu asks softly.

“The Christmas party”, Kaoru replies, and Shu averts his eyes.

“Embarrassing”, he mutters. “All that trouble for a kiss.”

“Not just _one_ kiss”, Kaoru takes Shu’s hand in his. “And you didn’t seem very reluctant about it.”

“Perhaps”, Shu admits. “You’re wearing a better shirt today.”

“Yeah?” Kaoru steps closer. “What about it?”

“This”, Shu whispers, and kisses Kaoru.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shu's prompt is one I changed less than a week ago, and I found that this one worked a lot better than the last one! I really wanted to give these two something soft, and my friend suggested an arcade date, so this was born <3


	6. Kanata*

The sound of someone whining shakes Kaoru awake from his sleep. Though groggy, he immediately recognises the sound, and rolls around to his other side to see Kanata.

He’s facing away from Kaoru, body curled into a ball under the blanket, and Kaoru reaches for his shoulder to shake it lightly.

“Kanata-kun”, Kaoru calls softly, “Kanata-kun…”

Kanata, shivering, lifts his head, and relief floods through Kaoru – sometimes it’s difficult to wake him up.

“Kaoru?” Kanata’s voice is small as he peeks over his shoulder.

“Come here”, Kaoru suggests, and without delay, Kanata rolls over and wraps his arms around Kaoru’s chest.

“I’ve got you”, Kaoru pulls him closer. “It was a dream, and it can’t hurt you.”

“I was… I was…”

“Back at that house?” Kaoru suggests. Kanata nods against him, and Kaoru’s heart aches when he feels the front of his shirt wetting.

_House_ , not _home_ – they both take care to remember that. Kanata’s house was never a home, and Kaoru’s house stopped being a home the day his mother passed.

_This_ is their home, the bed and the lamps beside it – the aquarium on Kanata’s side of the room, the soft blue walls – the couch where they huddle close to each other – the small table with a framed photograph of the marine bio club room, where they first made a home with each other – the television with a constant stream of marine life documentaries – their bathtub, filled daily so Kanata can soak in it –

“You’re safe here, with me”, Kaoru reassures, rubbing at Kanata’s back. “You’re home now.”

“Home…” Kanata’s voice is muffled. “My ‘home’ is where Kaoru is.”

“And I’ll always be here to hold you.”

“Yes”, Kanata breathes. “I ‘believe’ you.”

“Sleep, now”, Kaoru kisses Kanata’s forehead. “I’ll be here, and nothing can hurt you.”

“Yes”, Kanata repeats, already half asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all kaokana is good but I especially like kaokana where they both leave their old houses behind and build a new home together


	7. Wataru*

The play in question is one Kaoru has never heard of, but even though the plot is confusing and nearly nonsensical at points, Kaoru finds that it doesn’t bother him.

There’s a first-year, possibly one of Nazuna’s kids – and then a guy from Trickstar. Hidaka?

…And, naturally, Wataru. As expected, he’s radiant on stage, and Kaoru sits in the audience, gripping the bouquet in his hands tighter.

Is this really a good idea? Rei encouraged him to come here, and Rei knows Wataru – as well as anyone can – but still –

The play ends, simultaneously too soon and not soon enough, and Kaoru stands up with the rest of the audience for the applause. He’s starting to get nervous, with the thought of meeting Wataru after this – hell, he’s been nervous the whole time, but now he’s _really_ starting to feel it.

The actors come in for another round of applause, and then, they retreat behind the curtains for good.

The audience begins to leave, and Kaoru leaves the row along with them, but lingers around. Should he just…

No one’s looking, so Kaoru slips to the stage, behind the curtains. There he has no idea where to go, so he paces around, through a few props, to what he thinks may be the way to the dressing rooms.

Before he can get any further, someone grabs his shoulder from behind.

“Ahh!” Kaoru startles, whipping around to see – well, naturally, Wataru. “H…Hibiki-kun.”

“Kaoru-kun, what a delight”, Wataru leans close, flinging his arm around Kaoru’s shoulders. “Am I right to assume you watched the play?”

“Y-yeah”, Kaoru stutters.

“And? What did you think? I _love_ constructive criticism”, Wataru’s voice quiets towards the end, turning more into a raspy whisper, and suddenly, Kaoru shivers.

“It was… you were… the play was interesting”, Kaoru manages to say.

“And I was…?”

“Great”, Kaoru says bluntly, and then, to create some physical distance between them, hands the flowers to Wataru. “These… are for you.”

“Why, Kaoru-kun!” Wataru gasps, his eyes practically sparkling as he takes them. “Were you _that_ charmed? I’m flattered…☆”

“Yeah, well”, Kaoru coughs, “a little bit.”

“You’re shy? Wow, cute, cute…” Wataru takes a whiff of the flowers, and hums contently. “Thank you kindly.”

“You’re welcome”, Kaoru mutters. “It… it truly was an impressive performance.”

“On stage, I give nothing less than my best”, Wataru smiles, adding a wink as he continues. “And getting compliments from cute boys such as yourself makes it all worth it.”

“O-oh”, Kaoru stutters. God, he’s got it bad.

“Rei told me I might get a visit from you”, Wataru mentions, almost off-handedly, eyes still on the flowers. “I must say, it’s a delight to see it come true.”

“Really?” Kaoru blinks, cheeks involuntarily heating up.

“Why, Kaoru-kun”, Wataru laughs, “don’t underestimate yourself. Would you happen to be free for the rest of the evening?”

“Yeah?” Kaoru says uncertainly. “But…”

“Then, after I change into something more comfortable, I shall treat you to dinner. If that is acceptable?”

“Yes”, Kaoru croaks, his mouth dry. “Really?”

“Really”, Wataru laughs again, leaning down to press a warm kiss against Kaoru’s cheek. “I look forward to it.”

He also presses something against Kaoru’s hand, and when they separate, Kaoru finds a pink rose in his palm.

Wataru flutters away to the dressing room, but Kaoru stays still, staring at the rose in disbelief of what just happened.

“Really?” he repeats, this time more quietly. “ _Really?_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was, in fact, the first chapter I wrote for kaorutober, and I think, perhaps overall my favourite? you can catch me yelling over watakao on a daily basis even though they have literally interacted. once. anyway,


	8. Kuro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings for threatened violence and attempted kidnapping in this chapter! (though... both very mild)
> 
> for these two, I wanted to make kind of a... "first proper meeting" scenario. all I'm gonna say is, kuro is too good for this world

Kaoru takes the long way home after a date, to be home even slightly later than he otherwise would be. Usually, it would be okay, as he’s good at staying hidden when he doesn’t want to be noticed, but tonight –

Tonight he does get noticed.

At first, it’s just the sense of someone following him, but soon, it becomes a certainty.

Kaoru tries to subtly speed his steps, but someone appears in front of him, cutting off his path. And when Kaoru glances behind, there are two more people there.

“Really?” he groans. “My school will kill me if I get in trouble.”

“You’re Hakaze’s kid, aren’t you?” the guy in front of him asks. “He’s rich.”

Okay, good thing is, they’re not looking to just beat him up. Bad thing – they know who he is.

“Hakaze?” Kaoru feigns innocence. “I think you have the wrong person –“

“No, no, I’ve seen your face. You’re that idol boy, aren’t you?”

Well, that’s _real_ bad.

“Okay, look –“

“I’ll bet he’d pay for your safety.”

“I’ll bet he wouldn’t”, Kaoru laughs nervously. “Look, if it’s money you want, I’ve got some on me.”

“No, no, don’t try it”, says someone behind him – too close, and then that someone grabs his arm.

“If you cooperate, we won’t have to hurt you.”

“Hey”, calls a voice behind them, “why don’t you three just walk away.”

The voice is deep and oddly familiar, but Kaoru can’t place it without seeing his face.

“There’s only one of you and three of us”, says the guy holding Kaoru, before shoving him to the ground.

“You don’t wanna try me”, the reply is a growl, and Kaoru shivers, freezing still. Who is this guy?

There’s a short silence, and then, Kaoru’s attackers scatter away. Kaoru’s legs feel weak, and he’s unable to stand while the stranger walks closer. He sounded scary, but Kaoru should be safe since he just saved him, right…? Unless… unless this guy wants money, too –

“Hey, you okay?”

Kaoru looks up. He’s tall, and there’s a scary look in his eyes, but it softens as soon as he begins to kneel down. And, he – Kaoru knows him, doesn’t he?

“Kiryu-kun?” he asks in a shaking voice.

“Sorry, did I scare ya? Here”, he offers a hand, and Kaoru, still stunned, takes it without thinking. “Hakaze, right?”

“Y-yeah”, Kaoru stutters. “Thank you.”

Now that Kuro no longer looks scary, he kind of looks – he looks like a _prince_ , leaning down to help someone in peril with worried and surprisingly gentle eyes.

Kuro helps him stand up, then looks him over.

“You’re not hurt?”

“Just shaken. Huh… that wasn’t the most dignified situation”, he laughs nervously.

“Anyone would be scared. Okay if I walk you home?”

“Thanks”, Kaoru nods, surprised. Maybe he should try to keep his pride and refuse being walked home by a guy, but _really_ , that seems kind of meaningless right now.

“Lead the way”, Kuro gestures. “What did those punks want, anyway?”

“Thought they could get some money out of my father in exchange for my safety”, Kaoru sticks his hands in his pockets.

“Thought?”

“He’d be more pissed about losing money than someone kidnapping me”, Kaoru kicks a stone on the road.

“What about your mom?”

“She’s…” Kaoru glances at Kuro, and sighs. “Well, she’s dead.”

“Sorry”, Kuro mutters. “Well… we’re in the same boat there.”

Kaoru looks up at Kuro. Huh… he never knew that. Which is, kind of fair, since he doesn’t know anything about Kuro.

“Sorry”, Kaoru replies, not knowing what else to say. What _should_ he say, when the only common ground he knows they have is… _this?_

“If ya ever wanna… talk about it…” Kuro’s voice fades away. “Well, we don’t even know. Dumb idea.”

“No, it’s… well, a little dumb”, Kaoru admits. “But it’s a nice thought, you know?”

“Thanks”, Kuro mumbles, and is that… a faint smile on his face?

“We’re here”, Kaoru announces. He turns towards Kuro, and hesitates. “Hey… really, thanks for saving my ass out there. It was pretty scary.”

“No problem”, Kuro nods.

“No, I… you’re a good guy. I’m real lucky you came along.”

“Huh”, Kuro blinks, then breaks into a tentative smile. “You’re softer than you seem, huh?”

“Same goes for you”, Kaoru remarks.

“Maybe”, Kuro chuckles. “Well… stay safe.”

“Yeah”, Kaoru nods. “You, too.”

Kuro nods one more time, and then disappears into the night.


	9. Izumi*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (it comes up fairly soon in the text, but they are holding kissing booths)

“Bet I could get more customers than you.”

Kaoru doesn’t remember which of them threw out the challenge, but after that, neither could back down.

It was about _honour_ , after all.

“There’s _no way_ you’d get more kisses”, Izumi scoffs.

“Wow, who’s the one always going off about how pretty I am?” Kaoru defends himself. “Sure _you_ don’t want a kiss?”

“Ugh, I don’t kiss straight boys”, Izumi scowls. “No matter how cute they may be.”

“You think I’m cute?” Kaoru gasps, and Izumi rolls his eyes.

“All things considered. You sure you can handle boys asking for kisses?”

“You sure you’re not just afraid of losing? Besides, the customers won’t be _all_ boys.”

“Yeah, whatever. I’m still gonna win.”

“You _wish_.”

 

 

The kissing booths are – a success, really. Kaoru gets customer after customer, and Izumi doesn’t seem to fall far behind.

Kaoru keeps count, of course, of the exact number of kisses he’s given out. Like Kaoru said, it’s not _all_ boys, but, well – there’s a fair share of them.

It’s for the sake of the class, so it’s fine, isn’t it? Besides, not all of them are gross. Some even smell nice. So it’s not _that_ bad, and he’s doing it to defeat Izumi, so it’s for a good cause, too!

Still, having the final customer over is a relief. There were a lot, and while he did his best to drink water and use lip balm, his lips still feel a bit dry.

So, he writes down the total number of kisses on his phone, and then leaves his stall to rendesvouz with Izumi.

Izumi has done the same, and they silently hand each other their phones.

Kaoru looks at the phone, then up at Izumi, and Izumi is looking back at him with an equally shocked expression.

“What the fuck?” Izumi hisses.

“This is _my_ number you have here!” Kaoru protests.

“Well, it’s also mine! Did you _really_ get this many –“

“That’s the exact number, Senacchi”, Kaoru assures. “Fuck…”

“Well, it _can’t_ be a tie. We both know I’m the superior kisser.”

“Oh, yeah? Prove it”, Kaoru shoots back.

“Yeah? Come here, and I will.”

They stand still for a while, eyes locked, brows furrowed – and this is a _challenge_ between them, one that has to be solved, so they both shove each other’s phones in their pockets. Kaoru grabs Izumi by the shoulders, Izumi snakes one arm around Kaoru’s waist, and all of a sudden, there’s a _lot_ more tongue involved than with any of the actual customers.

It’s more like a – duel, really, the kind from a bad romance novel, both kissing more forcefully than they otherwise would, and Kaoru doesn’t have that much tongue experience, but damn if he’s gonna yield. He tangles a hand in Izumi’s perfectly styled hair, just to piss him off, and Izumi responds by shoving a knee between Kaoru’s legs. Kaoru hisses, tugs at Izumi’s hair, and Izumi grabs his bottom lip between his teeth, biting, and –

“Ahem.”

They pull apart in an instant, eyes still on each other, both breathing heavily as they glare at each other.

“We, uh… came to ask you about the results…” Chiaki’s voice is small, and behind him, their whole class stands with expressions varying from shock to delight.

“It went great”, Izumi hisses.

“Absolutely. Here’s the number of customers each of us had.” Kaoru takes out Izumi’s phone and shows the screen to Chiaki.

“Oh, wow”, Chiaki blinks. “Well… carry on, then! We’ll take the booths down!”

Kaoru and Izumi are left alone, and they glance at each other appraisingly.

“So… Can I have my phone back?” Kaoru finally asks.

“I’m writing down my number first. We still don’t have a winner.”

“And we’re gonna solve that by…?”

“We’ll have a rematch after I treat you to some dinner”, Izumi says in a matter-of-fact tone. “If that’s okay with you?” He looks up at Kaoru.

“Oh – yeah”, Kaoru feels himself blush. “I mean – I’m gonna win, okay?”

“Prepare to _not_ win”, Izumi smirks confidently, handing Kaoru his phone back.

“Losing might actually not be so bad”, Kaoru smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was my first time writing izumi, so I hope I did him justice... ha ha...
> 
> the full story of this chapter goes like this: I've had this exact concept for an izukao for months, but I didn't feel like I cared enough about the ship to write it? still, when I came up with kaorutober, I knew right away I'd write this for izumi's chapter, and I ended up having the most fun writing this chapter over every other! so I've definitely grown fond of the ship too... and I'm super happy I could finally write this.


	10. Rei*

“One, two, three, and you take a step to the left.”

“Like this?”

“Make it more of a slide.”

Rei repeats the motion, and while Kaoru has no problems copying it, he’s having trouble figuring out which way his arms should be.

Rei gives him a side glance – it’s obvious he’s noticed it, too. Not that the dance was particularly hard, not for Kaoru, but he’s had trouble concentrating ever since they began their practise about an hour ago.

“It’s okay, this part is really fast”, Rei reassures, and Kaoru’s face burns in shame. “Why don’t we take it from the top?”

“Yeah”, Kaoru agrees. It’s not like he has much room to complain – Rei took time outside their regular practise hours to teach Kaoru, after all, so he could catch up on all the practises he’s missed.

Rei counts faster, this time with a speed matching that of their song, and Kaoru keeps up, except then he doesn’t. For less than a second, he remembers the latest meaningless argument he had with his father, and when he pulls his focus back, he lingers on the movement of Rei’s hips instead, and then he can’t remember what the next move should be.

Rei hears the frantic shuffling of Kaoru’s feet and stops moving. He turns, and Kaoru is caught in the act of trying to keep his balance.

“Kaoru-kun”, Rei sighs, and Kaoru lays his gaze down.

“Sorry. Kind of a pitiful show, huh?”

Usually, he makes up for a lazy attendance record by picking up their dances incredibly fast, but this week, it’s been – difficult. He wants to tell that to Rei, but it would feel too much like an excuse.

“Let’s take a break”, Rei suggests. “Come over here.”

When Kaoru looks up, Rei is walking to his coffin. If he wants to take a nap, why does he want Kaoru to follow…?

Once they are both standing next to the coffin, Rei looks Kaoru over and clears his throat.

“Now, I know you’re not ready to talk about it, so what you _are_ going to do is take a nap.”

“In there?” Kaoru blinks, glancing inside the coffin.

“I assure you, there isn’t a more comfortable place to nap.”

“No, it’s just… it’s yours?”

“Yes, and you are perfectly allowed to borrow it.”

“Huh”, Kaoru mutters. It _does_ look inviting, with its plush red interior, but still… it’s really okay? “Will you join me?”

“Really?” Rei’s eyebrows shoot up. “You want me to…?”

“It would be…” Kaoru can’t think of a more diplomatic way to put it, so he simply tells the truth. “It would be nice to not be alone.”

“Oh, Kaoru-kun”, fondness radiates from Rei’s smile and voice, and Kaoru feels dizzy, “of course I will.”

Rei takes off his shoes, and Kaoru follows. Kaoru expects Rei to lie down in the coffin, but he simply sits, instead, folding his legs under him.

“Uh, Sakuma-san?” Kaoru starts, halfway into the coffin, “I meant…”

“Yes”, Rei nods. “But it’s okay. Just lay your head here, and I’ll look after you.” He pats at his lap.

“What?”

“I said, just lay your head –“

“I – I heard, it’s just…” Kaoru can feel his face flare up as he stares at Rei’s legs. “Right. Okay.”

Anything might work after sleeping so badly last night. And it’s not that the thought of sleeping on Rei’s lap was off-putting – quite the opposite, really, and that’s precisely what makes him so nervous.

Slowly, Kaoru lays down and sets his head on Rei’s lap. Rei’s hands find his hair as soon as he closes his eyes, carding through it in a soothing motion.

Kaoru sighs and relaxes. When was the last time he let someone touch him like this?

The lights behind his eyelids seem dimmer, or maybe he’s imagining it. Rei begins to hum, quieter at first, but growing more confident as he continues.

It’s their song, isn’t it? UNDEAD’s? It sounds so different like this, more vulnerable, and Kaoru sighs again.

“Thank you”, he mumbles, and then, Rei’s gentle fingers against his cheek are the last thing he remembers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like october only just started, but there's only one chapter left after this? but! I hope you enjoyed this one too, and I'll see you for one more!


	11. Marine Bio Club

Ever since the live at the aquarium, Kaoru has been showing up at the club – well, more than before.

Souma is suspicious, but Kanata is clearly happy, so Souma accepts it, too.

And partaking in club activities means, the next time there’s talk of an aquarium excursion, Kaoru is included. He’s more excited than he lets them see, but truth be told, he’s pretty sure Kanata knows the truth, and he’s almost as sure that Kanata tells Souma as well.

That’s okay. Kaoru wants to learn how to open up to them more, so Kanata seeing through him only helps him along.

And, in all fairness, when the day arrives, Kaoru is the first of them at the aquarium.

 

 

Kaoru looks at his phone – ten minutes early, huh. Maybe he could take a walk around the block…

But, instead, he goes through some old pictures on his phone, and it doesn’t take him long to find photos of the last time they were all at this aquarium. It’s strange… how happy they all look.

Kaoru shuts his phone, sighs, and hopes that they could all be that happy together again.

Souma is the next to arrive, punctual as usual. They stand around for a while, and then, Souma looks anxiously at his wristwatch.

“Buchou-dono isn’t here yet…”

Kaoru looks at his phone. He’s not _that_ late yet, but…

“Do you think one of us should have gone to get him? It’s possible, that…”

It’s, naturally, foolish to immediately assume the worst, but from the way Souma nods, it’s clear the same thought crosses his mind. Neither of them knows how things have been at Kanata’s house since the aquarium live…

“You know what? He’s just late”, Kaoru decides, mostly because Souma is starting to look more worried, and Kaoru doesn’t know what to do if he panics. “If not – well, I’ll go there and make them let him out.”

“T-thank you”, Souma nods, teary-eyed. Jeez, he’s more sensitive than he wants people to know… usually Kaoru only sees his prickly side, so this is new.

Finally, a total of twenty minutes late, Kanata strolls around the corner, slowly, like he was in no hurry.

“Buchou-dono…!” Souma exclaims, immediately flinging his arms around Kanata.

“Souma?” Kanata asks, surprised. “Am I ‘late’…? I passed by a fish ‘store’, so I went to say ‘hi’ to them…”

“Kanata-kun, you really worried Souma-kun here”, Kaoru scolds half-heartedly. “Ah… I’m glad you’re here.”

Kanata still seems confused, but he pats at Souma’s head reassuringly.

“I am ‘here’ now, Souma”, his voice is soothing. Souma detaches himself with a smile.

“Yes…! Then, we should go in.”

 

 

Last time, Kaoru didn’t have time to properly admire all the creatures living here, but today, he intends to take his time. After all, Kanata will most likely take it slow, too, and Souma will match whatever pace Kanata takes.

And last time, Kaoru was too preoccupied with other stuff to think about it, but – he hasn’t been to an aquarium since he was a kid, has he? And even back then, it was _this_ aquarium…

Their trip inside starts easy enough. At every tank, Kanata stops to speak about its inhabitants. It’s easy to be calm listening to that soothing voice go off about whatever creature has its turn, and Kaoru is hypnotised by the combination of fish swimming and Kanata speaking.

It’s only when they arrive at the largest tank that something clicks.

Kaoru gazes inside, spots a familiar figure, and suddenly, memories flood his head like a river that breaks through a dam.

This is where he would stand, clutching at his mother’s hand, and his mother would tell him about the fish. Those memories are safe, warm, and still, Kaoru finds it hard to breathe.

His mother’s laugh when Kaoru asked about the jellyfish, like he did every time. When he asked if anyone would notice him taking just one turtle.

“Kaoru?”

His mother’s smile when he remembered something she told him the last time they were here. When he ran ahead because he was eager to see more already, only to return because he didn’t want to leave her behind.

“Kaoru.”

His mother’s hand, warm against his in the aquarium. His mother’s hand, cold against his in the hospital –

“Kaoru”, and someone’s hand, warm as it slips to hold his.

“Kanata-kun?” Kaoru asks, crashing back to reality. Blinking feels strange – like he was crying – but he wasn’t…?

“What… is it?” Souma’s voice is quiet, almost uncertain.

“What? I…” When Kaoru swallows, his throat feels tight.

“You told me I should ‘rely’ on other people. So you should do the ‘same’…” Kanata says gently.

“I… yeah”, Kaoru mutters. So he _is_ crying, and now, he’s starting to understand why. His voice wavers when he continues speaking. “Sorry. Not a cute sight, huh? Let me just pull myself together –“

“It is ‘okay’, Kaoru.”

“Okay. Okay…” Kaoru takes a deep breath. “See that shark over there?”

“Which one…?” Souma asks, leaning closer to the tank.

“It’s swimming on the other side. Anyway… I remember it. It was here when I came here as a kid with my mom.”

Kanata’s hold on his hand tightens, the look in his eyes so full of understanding it almost hurts.

“You can recognise it?”

“Souma”, Kanata nudges, and after a moment of hesitation, Souma moves to Kaoru’s side, and links their hands.

Kaoru sighs, and grabs back at the two hands holding his.

“Kaoru is not ‘alone’”, Kanata’s voice is soft, like it always is, and Kaoru nods.

“There’s a lot of people you can rely on, right?” Souma’s voice is soft, too, and Kaoru smiles.

“Yeah. I’m real lucky, aren’t I? To have so many people who care.”

His mom would be happy to see him now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, this was the last chapter of kaorutober! thank you all so much for sticking with me and supporting me with this! I haven't replied to any comment individually, but you can be certain I have read every one of them, and cherish them greatly. I'm incredibly glad I decided to do this project. this fic may be finished, but I have more planned, and I aim to love and appreciate kaoru for a long time to come.
> 
> that said, november will probably be a quiet month since I'm taking part in nanowrimo, and after that I probably need a rest from writing, but I'll definitely be back. again, thank you for reading, and I'll see you again!
> 
> (and a side note: yes, the last lines in this chapter are meant to reflect this project as a whole. don't worry, I definitely cried writing them.)

**Author's Note:**

> a reminder that you can find me on twitter @ watareikao !


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